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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — to bend
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — thin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — army training
  16. tube — a container
  17. chip — for betting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chip — to eat
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — the underground
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com